Joe Biden is facing mounting criticism over comments he made during an appearance on “The Breakfast Club,” a nationally broadcast radio program with more than 8 million monthly listeners.
While bragging about all he’s done for the black community, Biden falsely claimed the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) had endorsed him every time he’s run for office.
As noted by NAACP President Derrick Johnson, the NAACP is a “non-partisan organization and does not endorse candidates for political office at any level.”
Not surprisingly, this wasn’t Biden’s worst slip-up during the 18-minute interview. After speaking with host Charlamagne tha God about institutionalized racism, prison reform, marijuana, COVID-19, and the 1994 Crime Bill, Biden dropped a real bombshell:
“I tell you, if you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.”
The remark immediately went viral on social media, with Trump adviser Katrin Pierson describing the comment as “racist and dehumanizing” as it suggests black voters are “incapable of being independent or free thinking.”
More than 1.3 million African Americans voted for Trump in 2016, noted Senator Tim Scott (R-SC). “He’s saying that 1.3 million African Americans, that you’re not black? Who in the heck does he think he is?”
As always, Biden backtracked and claimed he was joking. “I was making the point that I never take the vote for granted and in fact, I know in order to win the presidency, I need the African American vote,” he said. “I shouldn’t have been such a wise guy…No one should have to vote for any party, based on their race or religion or background.”
As Charlamagne suggested during the interview, simply not being President Trump isn’t enough to win the black vote. “Black people saved your political life in the primary this year,” noted Charlamagne. “They have things they want from you, and one of them is a black woman running mate.”
Biden is considering several black running mates, but has not yet made a commitment.
Speaking with CNN on Friday night, Charlamagne said about Mr. Biden, “He really was one of the people on the front lines when it came to the war on drugs and mass incarceration. If he wants to be president, he needs to fix that…My overall takeaway from the conversation was I heard him talking about things he did for black people back in the day, but you know ‘what have you done for me lately’ is my motto. I see Black communities catching hell no matter who is in the White House.”
Joe Biden has long enjoyed support from the black community based on his voting record and his identity as vice president to the first black president in US history.
According to a Quinnipiac University poll released this week, Biden’s support among black voters is just over 80% (compared to 3% for Trump). It is unclear whether the interview will affect Biden’s popularity among black voters, but it certainly gives the critics something to talk about.
Author’s Note: Do we really want a candidate who is constantly apologizing for speaking out of turn? What if one of his comments starts a war? Does he just get to apologize?